NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
Page 2A
PUC recommends
more taxpayer-funded
solar incentives
tax credit, according to the report.
A joint interim legislative
committee is currently conducting
a review of the Oregon Department
of Energy, which has faced intense
scrutiny in the wake of the trou-
bled Business Energy Tax Credit
program. That program ended in
2014.
In light of the Department of
Energy review, the PUC did not offer
speciic recommendations on what
form taxpayer incentives should
take, but that the Legislature should
study continuing an exemption on
property taxes for people who have
their own solar photovoltaic (PV)
arrays.
An array or other renewable
energy system can increase a home’s
value, but since 2011, the state has
allowed property tax assessments to
leave out any increase in property
value resulting from the installation
of a solar PV system. Currently that
exemption is scheduled to run out in
2018.
The commission also recom-
mended legislators look at creating
taxpayer-supported programs that
incentivize residential and small
commercial solar developments.
The second recommendation in
the PUC’s report is tied into another
piece of legislation that laid out
requirements for how much of the
state’s energy should come from
small-scale solar energy projects.
That legislation, Oregon SB
1547, also known as the coal-to-
clean bill, required electric compa-
nies credit owners or subscribers
to so-called community solar
projects in such a way that relects
the value that solar energy provides
the electricity grid, a concept called
“resource value.”
The PUC is in the process of
determining that value. After that,
the PUC plans to evaluate what
the beneits and costs of using that
resource value-driven methodology
would be, according to the report.
Finally, the PUC also recom-
mended that the Energy Trust of
Oregon, which administers a solar
electricity program paid for by a
portion of public purpose charges
on Portland General Electric and
Paciicorp bills, should modify its
use of those funds to support high-
value projects that provide “unique
beneits” to the utility system.
An example of a unique beneit
would be a project that improves
reliability, according to the report.
By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE
Capital Bureau
SALEM — The state’s public
utility commission has recom-
mended the Legislature consider
adopting taxpayer-funded incentive
programs for solar energy projects.
The PUC spent the past few
months evaluating and gathering
input on the state’s solar incentive
programs, and voted Tuesday to
pass along the substance of its
recommendations to the Legislature.
The state already has several
taxpayer-funded programs intended
to encourage the development of
solar energy projects. Some of those
incentives are scheduled to sunset
soon.
Another handful of ratepay-
er-funded programs are paid for only
by customers of speciic utilities.
The report states that if the
Legislature “wants to capture the
full social and economic devel-
opment beneits” of systems that
convert solar energy into electricity,
that taxpayer-funded incentives
— programs that all Oregonians,
regardless of utility provider, pay
for and reap the beneits of — are
the way to go.
The PUC released two prelimi-
nary drafts of the report — required
by legislation in 2015 — earlier this
year.
Solar companies had objected
to the PUC’s initial description in
an early draft of the solar energy
landscape in Oregon as “robust.”
Jeff Bissonnette, the executive
director of the Oregon Solar Energy
Industries Association, said in
public comments Tuesday the inal
draft was an improvement from
initial drafts.
He said that solar energy was still
an emerging industry and that he
hoped the demand for solar energy
in Oregon would remain stable. He
added that his group was preparing
an Oregon-speciic solar business
plan to evaluate the future potential
of solar energy.
The commission noted in its inal
report that it’s dificult to calculate
the beneits and costs of each incen-
tive program designed to encourage
solar energy development, as
projects or individual customers
are often eligible for more than one
incentive program.
Oregonians who beneit from
any of the state’s incentives can still
receive a federal solar investment
TRIAL: Closing arguments for other defendants on Wednesday
The exception was Bundy, who
backed his chair away from the
defense table, swiveled to the left
and looked at Knight and the jury
for two hours.
Bundy’s attorney, Marcus
Mumford, followed Knight,
delivering a four-hour argument
that included civics-related quotes
from former president Woodrow
Wilson, former U.S. Supreme
Court Justice Potter Stewart and
other igures from the past.
Mumford said Bundy and his
fellow occupiers made a peaceful
stand — but a determined one —
against what they saw as federal
government overreach in the pros-
ecution of Harney County ranchers
Dwight and Steven Hammond.
“The problem wasn’t with
the employees,” Mumford said.
“It was with their employer, the
federal government. It won’t
respect its limits.”
Mumford reiterated many
points that Bundy made when he
testiied for three days earlier this
month, including that the presence
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Periodicals postage paid at Pendleton, OR. Postmaster: send address changes to
East Oregonian, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801.
EUGENE (AP) — Marijuana
dispensaries have sold more
than $160 million worth of
recreational marijuana so far in
2016.
The Register-Guard reports
that according to sales tax igures
released Monday by the state
Department of Revenue, more
than $160 million worth of pot
was sold in the irst nine months
of the year, bringing in $40.2
million in sales tax payments.
State-regulated medical
marijuana dispensaries charge a
25 percent sales tax to customers
for recreational marijuana
products.
The igures come weeks
after the Oregon Liquor Control
Commission licensed the irst
retailers in its recreational
marijuana program. Those
retailers charge a 17 percent
state sales tax for all recreational
marijuana products.
Medical dispensaries must
become licensed with the OLCC
if they want to continue to sell
recreational pot in 2017.
Sunshine mixing
with clouds
Mostly cloudy with
showers
63° 50°
67° 50°
Partly sunny
SATURDAY
Intervals of clouds
and sunshine
61° 46°
More clouds than
sun
62° 44°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
65° 50°
69° 51°
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
LOW
56°
63°
85° (1940)
44°
39°
20° (1917)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.04"
1.22"
0.59"
9.29"
5.89"
9.57"
HERMISTON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
Yesterday
Normals
Records
LOW
61°
64°
85° (1940)
40°
38°
23° (1976)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
Trace
0.90"
0.33"
6.34"
3.71"
6.92"
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
Last
New
Oct 22
Oct 30
7:17 a.m.
6:02 p.m.
9:12 p.m.
11:22 a.m.
First
Full
Nov 7
64° 45°
65° 40°
Seattle
58/51
ALMANAC
Yesterday
Normals
Records
64° 44°
Nov 14
BEND (AP) — Wildlife
groups are offering $20,000 for
information about a female wolf
found dead in Oregon.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service described the wolf’s death
as an illegal killing of an animal
from an endangered species.
The agency is offering $5,000
for information.
The Center for Biological
Diversity is also offering $10,000
for information.
The Humane Society of the
United States is offering another
$5,000.
The 3-year-old gray wolf
known as OR 28 was originally
from the Mount Emily pack and
was part of the newly forming
Silver Lake pack.
She gave birth to a pup earlier
this year. Her body was found in
northwest Lake County.
USFWS would not reveal how
the wolf died or other details.
The agency is performing a
necropsy on OR 28.
RICHLAND, Wash.
(AP) — Some workers at a
Hanford Nuclear Reservation
tank farm have had their skin
contaminated with low levels of
radioactive waste.
The incident occurred
Tuesday morning.
The Tri-City Herald reports
the workers were in a pit
at the AX Tank Farm when
contamination was detected in
the pit.
They backed out of the area,
but a survey found low levels
of radioactive contamination on
their skin.
Equipment is being installed
in the AX Tank Farm to allow
waste to be emptied from
leak-prone, underground nuclear
waste storage tanks.
Hanford for decades
made plutonium for nuclear
weapons and now is cleaning
up a vast quantity of
radioactive waste from that
work.
REGIONAL CITIES
Today
SUNDAY
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
60° 45°
Some workers at
Hanford exposed to
radioactive waste
Spokane
Wenatchee
54/44
57/45
Tacoma
Moses
58/50
Lake
Pullman
Aberdeen Olympia
Yakima 59/47
55/45
54/51
56/50
59/46
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
56/52
62/51 Lewiston
65/51
Astoria
60/47
59/54
Portland
Enterprise
Hermiston
58/53
Pendleton 54/40
The Dalles 65/50
63/50
61/49
La Grande
Salem
59/45
58/53
Albany
Corvallis 58/52
58/52
John Day
59/46
Ontario
Eugene
Bend
61/37
59/52
60/46
Caldwell
Burns
60/41
55/29
Astoria
Baker City
Bend
Brookings
Burns
Enterprise
Eugene
Heppner
Hermiston
John Day
Klamath Falls
La Grande
Meacham
Medford
Newport
North Bend
Ontario
Pasco
Pendleton
Portland
Redmond
Salem
Spokane
Ukiah
Vancouver
Walla Walla
Yakima
Hi
59
55
60
62
55
54
59
62
65
59
60
59
56
66
57
63
61
63
63
58
61
58
54
58
57
62
59
Lo
54
38
46
52
29
40
52
48
50
46
30
45
44
45
53
56
37
47
50
53
42
53
44
43
53
51
46
W
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pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
r
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
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pc
Hi
63
55
64
63
62
55
63
65
69
65
65
59
57
71
59
64
63
66
67
63
66
63
53
61
64
62
63
Today
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jerusalem
London
Mexico City
Moscow
Paris
Rome
Seoul
Sydney
Tokyo
Lo
53
77
58
46
50
32
44
60
54
58
65
W
pc
sh
pc
pc
pc
c
pc
pc
s
s
pc
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48
34
46
53
30
40
51
47
51
44
33
44
43
50
50
53
39
46
50
49
42
50
43
43
50
50
40
W
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c
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pc
pc
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r
sh
sh
c
pc
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sh
pc
sh
r
pc
sh
sh
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r
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c
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49
78
59
45
54
31
44
56
56
60
60
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pc
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pc
pc
sf
sh
pc
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WINDS
Medford
66/45
Klamath Falls
60/30
(in mph)
Today
Thursday
Boardman
Pendleton
ENE 3-6
SSE 4-8
SW 7-14
SSW 8-16
UV INDEX TODAY
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
REGIONAL FORECAST
Coastal Oregon: A shower in central parts
today; rain across the north. Partly sunny
in the south.
Eastern and Central Oregon: Periods of
clouds and sunshine today; warmer in
central parts.
Western Washington: Periods of rain today;
any time at the coast, in the afternoon
elsewhere.
Eastern Washington: Partly sunny today.
0
1
2
2
1
0
8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m.
Cascades: Some sunshine giving way to
clouds today; warmer.
Northern California: Mostly sunny today.
Pleasant and warmer in central parts; pleas-
ant at the coast.
COMMERCIAL PRINTING
Production Manager: Mike Jensen
541-215-0824 • mjensen@eastoregonian.com
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
Thu.
Hi
57
88
75
58
75
38
57
71
77
72
76
NEWS
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fax 541-276-8314 • email news@eastoregonian.com
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NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Thu.
WORLD CITIES
Hi
73
85
75
58
76
39
58
70
74
72
73
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Single copy price:
$1 Tuesday through Friday, $1.50 Saturday
FRIDAY
Wildlife groups offer
$20K for information
on wolf’s death
Corrections
Forecast
THURSDAY
“Is it a conspiracy to clean up
rat poop?” Mumford asked. “Or it
is responsible.”
Knight said in his argument that
the plan to stake a claim through
adverse possession proves there
was a conspiracy.
The prosecutor said the
conspiracy started two months
before the armed takeover, when
Bundy and another out-of-state
activist met with Harney County
Sheriff Dave Ward and vowed there
would be civil unrest if the sheriff
didn’t protect the Hammonds from
returning to prison.
Lawyers for the other six
defendants will present their
closing arguments Wednesday.
One defendant, Ammon Bundy’s
older brother Ryan, is acting as his
own attorney. He plans to address
the jury for an hour.
The East Oregonian works hard to be accurate and sincerely regrets any errors. If you notice a mistake in
the paper, please call 541-966-0818.
Copyright © 2016, EO Media Group
TODAY
of irearms ensured the protest
wouldn’t be immediately stormed
by armed federal agents.
The lawyer said the plan was
to take ownership of the refuge by
adverse possession, occupying it
for years and then turning it over
to local oficials.
Mumford said Bundy expected
government oficials to dispute the
claim, and that would force them
to prove in court they have proper
title to the land.
As part of that effort, Mumford
said, the protesters made improve-
ments to the refuge and didn’t
trash the place as the government
claims.
He displayed a photo of an
occupier with a broom, suppos-
edly sweeping up rat feces that
government workers had allowed
to build over time.
Recreational pot sales
reach $160M in 2016
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www.eastoregonian.com
— Marcus Mumford, Ammon Bundy’s attorney
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“The problem wasn’t with the employees.
It was with their employer, the federal
government. It won’t respect its limits.”
Continued from 1A
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— Founded Oct. 16, 1875 —
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
0-2, Low
3-5, Moderate 6-7, High;
8-10, Very High;
11+, Extreme
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ num-
ber, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2016
-10s
-0s
showers t-storms
0s
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
40s
snow
ice
50s
60s
cold front
70s
80s
90s
100s
warm front stationary front
110s
high
low
National Summary: Record warmth will continue in the East today. Rain and storms will
expand across the mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys. Hot Santa Ana winds will elevate the
fire threat in Southern California.
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 100° in McAllen, Texas
Low 8° in Big Piney, Wyo.
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Albuquerque
Atlanta
Atlantic City
Baltimore
Billings
Birmingham
Boise
Boston
Charleston, SC
Charleston, WV
Chicago
Cleveland
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
El Paso
Fairbanks
Fargo
Honolulu
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Hi
74
89
78
82
55
90
59
77
86
82
69
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89
58
71
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31
52
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84
69
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Thur.
Hi
68
87
73
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60
87
65
61
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82
58
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75
63
59
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25
49
85
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Today
Louisville
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Nashville
New Orleans
New York City
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Portland, ME
Providence
Raleigh
Rapid City
Reno
Sacramento
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
Tucson
Washington, DC
Wichita
Hi
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Thur.
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71
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59
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42
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
W
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